entering an employee expense report - northwestern · pdf file• expense documentation...

NUFinancials Supply Chain

FMS807

Entering an Employee Expense Report 2/20/2014-RB

© 2013Northwestern University FMS807

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Entering an Employee Expense Report

Upon completion of this guide you will be able to Enter an Expense Report: • For travel or non-travel reimbursement

• For yourself or as proxy for someone else

• With single, or multiple expense lines

• Charged to a Grant or Non-Grant chart string

• Using one or more chart strings

What rules govern expense reports? • NU Travel, Purchasing, ASRSP policies and Entertainment

and Courtesy Guidelines

• The individual requesting an expense report must be listed in the FASIS database

• Expenses must be charged to the proper source of funds within 30 days of occurrence

• Expense Reports must not be altered in any way which violates University Policies

What does an Expense Report affect? • Expenses created from Expense Reports will be reflected in

reports as “expenses” once they are budget checked, even if all approvals have not been processed.

• Sponsored Project Expenses - F&A will not be applied to these expenses until they have been completely approved.

When is an Expense Report not used? • When travel/expense has not yet occurred

• For reimbursing individuals who are not employees (use an Visitor’s Expense Report Online Voucher)

Who can submit an Expense Report? • Employees who incurred expenses for legitimate business

purposes

• Employees/Proxies who are authorized to enter expense reports on behalf of another employee

Additional Resources Expense Policies website http://www.northwestern.edu/financial-operations/policies-procedures/policies/PoliciesLinks.pdf

Where to get help? Contact the Help Desk at 847-491-HELP (4357) or email [email protected]

http://www.northwestern.edu/financial-operations/policies-procedures/policies/PoliciesLinks.pdf

http://www.northwestern.edu/financial-operations/policies-procedures/policies/PoliciesLinks.pdf

mailto:[email protected]


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Step 1 Login and select Employee Navigation: NUPortal > Financial > Payments tab > Expense Reports > Create a new Expense Report

• Alternate Navigation: NUFinancials > Employee Self Service > Travel and Expense Center > Expense Report > Create

• If you cannot access the NUPortal or appropriate tab, go to http://cafe.northwestern.edu/gateway and click NUFinancials.

• Users with Proxy Access will see this screen first; users without proxy access will see a blank expense report.

Your Employee ID will appear by default.

1. To enter an Expense Report for someone else, click the magnifying glass and select their Employee ID.

• That Employee’s ID will now appear in place of yours.

2. Click Add.

http://cafe.northwestern.edu/gateway


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Step 2 Fill out General Information Users without Proxy Access will go directly to this screen.

1. Enter a brief Description that describes all expenses on this report.

2. Click drop-down menu and select a Business Purpose. Business Purpose is used to describe the nature of the reimbursement. These are inexact; select the purpose that comes closest.

3. Optional, in Comment enter additional notes for approvers.

• When charging expenses to a grant, include the Project ID, Project name and the main Principle Investigator’s name in the Comment field.

4. Click Accounting Defaults (see the next page).


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Step 3 Accounting Defaults Accounting defaults will apply the same chart string(s) to all expense lines.

1. Enter the chart string this reimbursement will be charged to.

• Fund and Department are always required.

• Enter the PC Bus Unit “NWUNV” before entering Project, Activity, Program and ChartField 1 (if applicable).

• Account does not appear here; the expense account will automatically be applied when you select the expense types in the next step.

2. Optional, to add another chart string, click Add ChartField line, enter % percentage and chartstring.

• To remove an unwanted line, click the – minus symbol next to that line.

3. When all chart strings have been entered, click OK to return to the Expense Report


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Step 4 Details; Overview Tab

1. Click drop-down menu to select an Expense Type (non-travel, travel; domestic, or foreign)

• Expense Type represents the various types of costs incurred with each Expense Type mapping to a specific expense account chartstring in the ledger. See the Appendix at the back of this guide.

• Note: If using “Other Expenses” you must go to Accounting Details and enter the Account you wish to use.

2. Enter Date expense occurred (per receipt).

3. Enter total Amount Spent. If this field is not active, information will be entered separately for this expense type.

• Optional, to change chart string information (including account) for this expense type, click to review Accounting Details for this line.

4. For a Group Meal click (people icon) to add required information (see next page).

5. Four blank lines appear by default. To add additional expense lines, click Add next to New Expense.

• Optional, to use the Multiple Expenses worksheet, see the Appendix at the back of this guide.

6. To copy or delete a line, click the Select check box, and then click Copy Selected, or Delete Selected.


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Step 5: Group Meal Attendees (if applicable) A group meal is used whenever reimbursing the employee for more than just their own meal. This may include other faculty, staff, and university guests, but not family members. Enter the Name, Company and Title of each person who attended the group meal.

1. The employee being reimbursed automatically appears on the first line. Enter their Title.

2. Click + to add a blank row.

3. Enter the Attendee’s Name (Last, First), Company (school, employer, etc.), and Title (faculty, staff, etc.).

• Repeat for each attendee.

• To remove an unwanted line, click the – minus symbol next to that line.

4. After all Attendees have been entered, click OK to return to the Expense Report.


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Step 6: Detail Tab Details are used to provide greater descriptions, and to mark an expense non-reimbursable.

1. Enter a Description for each Expense Type.

• Descriptions should include business name, location, destination to/from, and/or purpose.

• Descriptions only appear in the electronic, not printed version of the Expense Report.

2. Click the Non-Reimbursable checkbox for non-reimbursable and pre-paid expenses.

• These will be removed from the reimbursement total.

• Be sure to note the reason something is non-reimbursable in the Description.

• The “No Receipt” field is not used. Instead, enter “missing receipt” in Description.

Location and Merchant tabs are not used.

Air/Hotel and Mileage tabs are explained on the next pages.


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Step 7: Air/Hotel Tab (if applicable) Used for Domestic and Foreign Hotel/Motel expenses

Enter the Number of Nights stayed in the hotel for that expense line.

• Hotel stays can be aggregated to one line or broken out for each day.

• Each unique hotel stayed in must have at least one line.

• The Ticket Number field (for airfare) is not used by NU.


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Step 8: Mileage Tab (if applicable) Used for Domestic and Foreign Private Auto Mileage (personal vehicle) expenses

Enter the number of Miles driven on that day. This may be a round trip figure.

• Mileage reimbursement covers fuel, insurance and vehicle “wear and tear”. These expenses may not be claimed separately.

• Mileage must be entered in whole numbers only.

• The mileage Rate is updated in NUFinancials based on the Federal Mileage Rate and corresponds to the Expense Date.

• When submitting proof of mileage, you may use Google Maps or MapQuest to calculate mileage. Please submit only the page that shows (in text) the names of the start and end points as well as number of miles driven.

The Currency tab is explained in a separate Foreign Currency job aid.


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Step 9: Save and Budget Check Save for Later - you must complete the General Information and enter at least one expense line to save without error

1. Click Save For Later. 2. Click Check Budget 3. Click OK in the corresponding pop up window.

4. Once Budget Checking Status is “Valid”, Click Printable View.

• Expenses created from Expense Reports will be reflected in budgets as “expenses” once they are budget checked, even if all approvals have not been processed. Sponsored Project Expenses - F&A will not be applied to these expenses until they have been completely approved.


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Step 10 Printable View • To print this report, use your browser’s print feature.

• Some browsers require additional setup to print the selected frame.

• Be sure to have the employee and supervisor sign at the bottom of the expense report.

• Only the first chartstring distribution line will appear on the printed report. Additional chartstrings can be viewed in NUFinancials.

• Scan and attach the signed expense report at the header.

• See attachment instructions on the next page.


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Step 11 Attachments

• Expense documentation (receipts, policy forms, mileage map, signed expense report, etc.) may be scanned and electronically attached in the Expense Report header.

• Receipts may be combined into one attachment or attached individually.

• Approvers can also attach documents, such as 90 day exception forms, to an expense report in workflow.

• Up to 5MB per attachment, 20MB total. • Acceptable types: xls, xlsx, doc, docx, jpeg, jpg, pdf, tiff, tif, zip

1. In General Information, click Attachments.


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2. Click Add Attachment 3. Click Browse

• Select file name, click Open

4. Click Upload

• To remove an attachment, you must first Save for Later. Then, go back to the attachment and click

• Please note: Only the person who attached a document can remove it.

5. Enter a Description

6. Click OK


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Step 12: Submit for Approval

Click OK to submit this expense report for approval.

• Once you submit, the expense report is in workflow and you cannot edit it (without having it sent back by an approver).

• Employee Expenses is the grand total of all expense lines entered

• Non-Reimbursable Expenses are those selected lines which will be deducted.

• Due Employee is what they can expect to be reimbursed upon approval.


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Step 12, continued: Submitted for Approval Click the Report Status link to view the workflow approval path in Approval Status.


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Appendix - Multiple Expenses

Add Multiple Expenses allows you to select your expenses all at once, rather than line by line.

1. Enter the Date Range you want to enter expenses for

2. Select an expense under the column One Day if it occurred only once during the trip.

3. Select an expense under column All Days if it occurred more than once.

4. Click Continue to return to the expense report.

• Expense lines are added and populated with your selections.

• Adjust the expense dates and delete lines as needed.


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Appendix - Expense Types with default Accounts

Expense Type Account

Advertising & Promotion 75150

Audio Visual Equipment & Supplies 73310

Books 73910

Computer Equipment & Supplies 73075

Domestic Travel-Mtg & Conf Fees* 76777

Course Materials 75115

Domestic Airfare 76765

Domestic Alcoholic Beverages 76769

Domestic Breakfast 76767

Domestic Dinner 76767

Domestic Public Ground Transport 76765

Domestic Hotel/Motel 76766

Domestic Incidentals 76767

Domestic Lunch 76767

Domestic Meal – Group 76768

Domestic University-Owned Vehicle 76765

Domestic Private Auto Mileage 76765

Domestic Rail 76765

Domestic Rental Vehicle 76765

Domestic Tolls & Parking 76765

Foreign Airfare 76770

Foreign Alcoholic Beverages 76774

Foreign Breakfast 76772

Foreign Dinner 76772

Foreign Public Ground Transport 76770

Foreign Hotel/Motel 76771

Foreign Incidentals 76772

Foreign Lunch 76772

Foreign Meal – Group 76773

Foreign Private Auto Mileage 76770

Foreign Per Diem 76772

Foreign Rail 76770

Foreign Rental Vehicle 76770

Foreign Tolls & Parking 76770

Hardware 73010

Lab Supplies 73475

Magazine Subscriptions 73920

Mailing and Postage 75510

Maintenance & Repairs 75440

Membership Dues 75030

Foreign Travel-Mtg & Conf Fees 76778

Office Supplies 73010

Printing/Photos 75809

Production Expenses 75911

Relocation/Moving Expense 76735

Research Subject Fees 78660

Used for Advances 76765

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